Method of forming box-like receptacle members



F. L. MILLER. METHOD OF FORMING BOX LIKE RECEPTACLE MEMBERS. APPLICATIONFILED APR-14, 1911.

1,319,161. r Patented 001;. 21,1919.-

' mull Arm/m FREDERICK L. MILLER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF FORMING BOX-LIKE RECEPTACLE MEMBERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 21, 1919.

Original application filed February 5, 1917, Serial No. 146,662. Dividedand this application filed April 14,

1917. Serial No. 162,222.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK LoMinmm, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Newark, ounty of Essex, State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improved Methods of FormingBox-like Receptacle Members, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of suitcases, traveling bags andreceptacles of like character, and has for its object to provide animproved method of forming box-like receptacle-members from pulp fiberor wood pulp board, in such a manner as to produce a light, strong, anddurable receptacle-member in one piece as to the main part or body ofthe receptacle and also in one piece as to the lid thereof, when thestructure includes a lid.

The present application is a division of another application filed by mein the United States Patent Ofiice on February 5th, 1917,

- Serial No. 146662.

For the sake of greater clearness, I have hereunto annexed a sheet ofdrawings, illustrating, as Ian example, one form of my invention. Inthese drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank, cut or stampedfrom a sheetof pulp fiber, to form the body or main portion of asuitcase; Fig. 2 is a top view of the suitcase body formed from saidblank, showing such body at an intermediate stage of its manufacture;Fig. 3 is a detail view showing one of the corner portions of Fig. -2 onan enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the completedsuitcase, shown open; and Fig. 5 is a partial cross section of thecompleted suitcase with the lid closed.

'In the particular example illustrated, the blank cut, stamped orotherwise produced from pulp fiber or similar material, comprises twolong and narrow panels 1, 1, adapted to form the side walls of thesuitcase body, two short panels 2, 2, of the same width as the panels 1,1, and adapted to form the ends of said suitcase body, and a centralpanel 3 located between the side panels and the end panels and adaptedto form the bottom of the suitcase body. Be-

' tween the adjacent edges of the side panels 1, 1, and of the endpanels 2. 2, are cuts or slots 4, preferably of the width of thematerial and adjacent to these slots, the material of the panels 1, 1,2, 2, is reduced in thickness or skived on the opposite surfaces strictmyself to the particular form of skiving shown and described. Thedistances from a corner A of the bot-tom panel 3, to

the points B, B, where the skiving begins,

are-equal as shown, and also equal to the width of the slot 4. Skivedportions 1, 2 are of the same width, as shown.

The blank having been formed and skived as set forth, the portions 1,2', are preferably matted with a wet brush whereby the fibers of theblank will be raised at these portions, and then while the entire blankis in a moist and plastic condition, a mold (which may be made collasible) conforming to the inside of the finished suitcase body (Figs. 4and 5) is placed on the prepared blank. In the particular caseillustrated, the mold would be a frame whose general shape isrectangular with its upper portion of somewhat less length and width.

than the bottom. The side panels 1 and end panels 2 would be bent upwardagainst the corresponding surfaces of the mold, an open rectangularframe (not shown) being fitted around the upper edges of the saidpanels, in substantially the same way that the lid 5 fits around themwhen the suitcase is closed (Fig. 5). Before this frame is applied, thesuitcase body has practically the shape shown in Figs. 2 and 3, with theoppositely skived portions in engagement with each other to form obliquejoints 6. These joints begin at a distance from the cornerscorresponding approximately to the width of the slot 4, and a strongerconstruction is obtained than if the skived joints began direotly at thecorners. The mating skived portions being of the same width, they willoverlap in such a manner that their aggregate thiclmess will, at everypoint, equal the thickness of the sheet of pulp fiber or pulp board fromwhich the suitcase body is made. The walls of this body will thereforebe of uniform thickness.

The edges and corners of the inside mold are preferably rounded so as togive the edges and corners of the suitcase body the rounded shape shownin Figs. 2 to 5. The

pulp boardin its moist condition is exceedingly plastic, and the roundededges and corners for the receptacle may be readily fashioned by tampingthem from the outside against the corresponding portions of the mold.The panels 1, 1, 2, 2, become firmly united not only with one another atthe skived portions, but also with the bottom panel 3 at edges such as AB and A B.

The suitcase body so formed, still connected With the inside mold andthe outside frame is baked in a suitable heating apparatus, thisapplication of heat causing the pulp to shrink and giving it remarkablestrength. The (collapsible) mold and the said frame are removed at theend of the baking operation.

The lid 5 may "be of any suitable construction, for instance it may bemade from a blank of the same character as the body blank, and in thesame manner as described above. In the finished article, the obliquejoints generally are not visible but if visible much less so thanindicated in Figs. 2 and 3.

By my improved method of producing the body or the lid of the suitcaseor other receptacle in one piece, I avoid the necessity for connectingseparate pieces by additional securing means such as thread or otherstitching, rivets, etc. Another advantage of this method is that itgives the finished article in all its parts, a practicall uniformresistance to rough handling, w ereas the thread, rivets or othersecuring means employed in previously existing constructions necessarilycause the article to be materially weakened at certain points. Ihearticle resulting from the use of my improved method is exceedinglylight and strong, being much lighter than receptacles of the samecharacter as made hitherto with corner caps or other reinforcementsrequired when such receptacle is made of separate sheets united bysewing, stitching, riveting, etc. The carrying out of the method doesnot require any particularly expensive apparatus, nor unusually skilledlabor, and thus the introduction of my improved method will ofler nodifliculties of an economic character, and the cost, of production willnot be increased materially, if at all.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the nature ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The herein described method of forming box-like receptacle memberswhich consists in producing a fiber board in a moist, plastic conditionand while in said condition producing therefrom a sheet-like blank, saidblank having a central panel and edge pan-.

els to form integrally the bottom and side walls of the receptacle,skiving the adjabending said edge panels into mutual con- I tact, withtheir reduced ends overlapping in such a manner that their aggregatethickness will be substantially equal to the thickness of the unreducedportion and uniting said overlapping portions.

3. The herein described method of forming box-like receptacle membersWhich consists in producing a fiber board in a moist, plastic conditionand while in said condition producing therefroma sheet-like blank, saidblank having a central panel and edge panels of sufficient length tooverlap, said panels being adapted to form integrally the bottom andside walls of said receptacle, bending and molding said edge panels intoclose overlapping contact and subsequently drying and hardening thearticle by the application of heat.

t. The herein described method of forming box-like receptacle memberswhich consists in producing a fiber board in a moist, plastic conditionand while in said condition producing therefrom a sheet-like blank, saidblank having a, central panel and edge panels to form integrally thebottom and side walls of said receptacle, reducing the thickness ofadjacent end portions of said edge panels from opposite surfaces,matting the end portions of said edge panels and bringing the mattedportions into close overlapping contact, and baking the article thusformed.

5. The herein described method of forming box-like receptacle memberswhich consists in producing a fiber board in a moist, plastic conditionand while in said condition producing therefrom a sheet-like blank, saidblank having a central panel and edge panels to form integrally thebottom and side walls of the receptacle, the ends of the edge panelsbeing reduced in thickness from opposite surfaces, bending said edgepanels, while in a moist, plastic condition into mutual contact withtheir reduced ends overlapping, and baking the article thus formed.

FREDERICK L. MILLER.

